Other headlines: Modi criticised the Congress for refusing to help after flash floods, and Malaysia will resume its search for the missing MH370 flight.

Blanket of smog greets Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru the morning after Diwali celebrations: Delhi choked after Diwali despite pollution board’s claims, while A Lancet study found that India has the most pollution-related deaths in the world.

Narendra Modi criticises Congress for refusing help in 2013 after flash floods in Kedarnath: He said the Centre had forced the Uttarakhand government to turn down Gujarat’s offer to help with the reconstruction of the temple town.

Malaysia to resume hunt for missing MH370 flight with US seabed exploration firm:The government has signed ‘no find, no fee’ arrangement with Ocean Infinity.

Eight killed, three injured after bus depot roof collapses in Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu: The victims – seven drivers and a bus conductor – were employees of the state transport cooperation.

Bihar orders investigation after villager allegedly beaten up, forced to lick saliva as punishment: Cabinet minister Nand Kishore Yadav has condemned the incident and promised that the culprits will be booked.

Over 3 lakh Rohingya children in Bangladesh in desperate need of food, water and sanitation, says Unicef: In a report, the UN agency said the children are in dire need of vaccinations to protect them from diseases such as cholera and measles.

Current US policies show tendency to ‘demonise people with different ideas’, says Barack Obama: Commenting on the state of affairs after nine months, the former president said politics was now ‘infecting our communities’ instead of ‘reflecting values’.

RTI activist in Mumbai asked to pay 18% GST for query: The state information commissioner said the tax does not apply to RTI queries.

Google Play introduces feature that lets users try out an app before installing it: Instant Apps were first introduced in 2016, but there were few that supported the ‘Try It Now’ feature.

Stargazers in for a treat as Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak this weekend: This is an annual meteor shower that is caused by debris left behind by Halley’s Comet burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.